the pure interest

It’s been a while since I’ve felt this overwhelmed both freelance work and agency work. There is so much going on I am trying to make lists as its the only way I can think to cover everything that needs to be fixed, updated, designed, prepared for print, billed, etc. I am thinking it’s likely I’ll be here at work until about 8:00 tonight. Which wouldn’t be so bad except around 5:00pm a ravenous hunger begins that is insatiable. Also our house is filled with girl scout cookies which was a very stupid move on my part as I’m eating about 8 a day.

Last night I went to a Casting Crowns and Leeland concert. I really enjoyed the whole night, it was amazing… I wasn’t a huge fan of CC but live they are incredible!! And Leeland are just so amazingly talented and worshipful for being so young. I saw a ton of people I know and it was great.

Amazing news flash. Our tax lady just called. WE ARE GETTING A REFUND!!! That is the FIRST time since we got MARRIED that this has happened. And when I have my own business??? I guess I should buy a laptop every year!!!

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I was checking my yahoo mail and this article came up about Oprah’s big give. I have to say, I sort of agree with it’s stance on this program… I LOVE Extreme Home Makeover, and there is an element to that show that is similar to Oprah’s Big Give, but it doesn’t elevate it to a game. The focus is always on the ones who are being helped and in need (which is why you cry your head off when watching it). What do you guys think? Check out the article below.

‘Oprah’s Big Give’ puts good works in a bad light

Enlarge ABC Yay for giving: Oprah Winfrey hosts Oprah’s Big Give, an altruistic new twist on reality-TV competitions.

By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY

Anyone old-fashioned enough to believe in keeping acts of righteousness private should give a wide berth to Oprah’s Big Give (ABC, Sunday, 9 ET/PT), Queen for a Day as reinterpreted by the Queen of All Media. An Apprentice-type game that turns charity into a competitive sport, Give will strike you as immensely uplifting or horrifyingly vulgar, or an odd combo of both.

Good works clash with bad behavior, altruism shares space with publicity-masked-as-charity, all wrapped in the familiar reality-genre clichés. And at the stomach-churning center is that old American TV belief that every problem can be solved with a take-home prize, without any consideration for underlying difficulties.

Sunday we meet Give’s 10 big givers, who are broken into five teams and given a picture of a person in need. Their task: Figure out what the person needs and raise the money to provide it. At the end they face three celebrity judges (Jamie Oliver, Malaak Compton-Rock, Tony Gonzalez), even though they’d be better served by advice from people with hands-on experience in raising money without the benefit of celebrity.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition treads much of this same maudlin, TV-knows-best territory. But at least that show doesn’t turn the people it’s making over into pawns in a game — a game that inevitably elevates the players’ problems to the level of the people they’re supposed to be helping.

It’s bad enough that what the people get has no necessary connection to what they need or deserve. What’s worse is it’s completely cut off from what they want, because the “prize” is decided by people who barely know them. For all its new-age trappings, Give is a throwback to a time when the poor were expected to be grateful for whatever they were given.

Seldom has the drive to do good works been as alarmingly, offensively presumptuous. When a homeless woman says she had hoped to be trained for a job, you can’t help thinking she may have had the best idea of what was best for her. Might there not be some widows who don’t want to be surprised with a block party or toy-buying spree, or who don’t like strangers telling their children how to best mourn their father?

There’s no doubt everyone involved means well, but then you do know where that road paved with good intentions leads, right? And it isn’t heaven.

Happy FREEZING Friday!!

It snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed yesterday and then again last night. I have to admit, it IS beautiful as it has coated all the trees and houses with a lovely icing of white a few inches think. But I am definitely ready for it to be over!! I am cold and I want to be in my garden again

I downloaded these so cute free flowers here @ You the Designer. I still don’t really understand how people have time create this kind of adorable, perfect art. But hey, I’m glad they do it so I don’t have to!!

I promise to have some photos and updates soon… I took some awesome ones this weekend because it was snowy but sunny and gorgeous. I went out on Lake Erie, frozen, for the first time in my life! The last two days have been so crazy from running to one thing to another that I have neglected the pure interest. Do you ever find yourself so overwhelmed by photo posting, organizing, touching up and flickring and blogging that you just DON’T? That’s kind of where I was at.

forgive me?

If you’ll allow me, I’d like to get spiritual with you … and specifically, JOYFUL.

We are reading a book for our small group called “The Life You’ve Always Wanted” by John Ortberg, and it is simplicity at it’s essence, yet bringing things into new perspective for me in an amazing way. The chapter I read for tonight is centering around joy - and how as a Christian, I should be finding joy in as much as I can and living that joy out loud. The book recommended, if you are a person who has problems finding joy, to take a day a week and do everything you love that day - wear the clothes you like, eat your favorite food, spend time reading your favorite book, see your favorite people, etc… to help that joy blossom. Christian or not, I think this is such a great idea for everyone to just remember how blessed you are.

That being said, here is my list of joyful things today (some with photographs, some without) Not all are totally meaningful, but they are bringing happiness and joy and I am blessed and thankful for IT ALL.

This CD/DVD that Kristin graciously lent me “We Cry Out” by the Jesus Culture. I have to say the worship on this CD has brought me to new heights and I am just so thankful for discovering it through a friend, who discovered through a friend, and through a youtube video. I wish everyone could watch the DVD as Kristin and I did and experience what we did.

My sleeping husband. Despite our little tiff yesterday, there is such a deep love and security there. Apologies and compromise flow in true love. There are highs, and lows. But it’s worth it.

My Tycho and Zelda (not pictured)

This bath line from Cracker Barrel. (I know, what??) It is double chocolate raspberry and when I use it in the shower I want to eat my arm. No joke. I’ve actually licked it to see if it tastes as amazing as it smells. (answer: it is sweet because it has ex foliating sugar, but does not taste like it smells)

Slightly whiter teeth due to a whitening treatment I did last weekend

My highlights and hair that has finally grown out a bit to the point where I like it again and get excited doing it. (I’ve gotten the technique down and can blow-dry in 2.15 seconds, and straighten in about 3 minutes)

Our pottery barn towel set (just for decoration) with matching shower curtain that I got at a major bust deal on ebay last year.

The adorable cupcakes I made for small group tonight

Eating my favorite cereal for breakfast this morning

Eating dairy queen for dinner last night. mmmm. Worth every calorie, I think.

Photographing an incredible engagement ring for my client. Pictures to be posted next week…….. it is amazing!

Drawing out what I want our garden to look like this season… and seeing some shoots from the tulips I planted in fall.
ICAN’TWAITFORSPRING. ( a post on this will be forthcoming… )

That it is FRIDAY and I have four days at home. They are busy, but they are at home and I am thankful for that.

My incredible family & friends. I just love the people in my life so much. I am so blessed . . .’

That God has been drawing me closer to Him through internal struggle over the past month, and by bringing me to my knees for prayer.

And unto You, we offer glory.

Go deep.

Have joy.

Be thankful.

Happy Friday.

I am swamped on finding “the perfect layout” for a newsletter two designers have been going back and forth on for…. about a month and a half. It’s so tricky! There is something we are trying to find and we just aren’t find it. I want to post it up to get opinions but that’s probably not a good idea because it is still in working stages so I’ll just show you some thumbnails from In Design were all important parties are protected (I think). The debate here is finding a way to make the headline large and in charge, but not overbearing, so that it stands out and compliments the red & black bars. Those colors are changeable but are part of the client’s logo so therefore are sort of an easy go-to-color combo.

Thoughts?

Any words would be appreciated…. we’ve been going back and forth on this for so long!

**Edit** My boss and I discussed and are going to present 2 & 3… but I’d still love more thoughts if anyone has them. I now have to make this work on 3 more spreads. or 2. I forget.

but swamped with a project i am basically working on now for no money - which is ok because it is for a friend, but it is difficult. I’m trying to finish it up as efficiently as possible but for some reason I decided to make a design that is like…… 600 layers in photoshop, so every file takes a while to work with (despite my new compy) (business expense for next month is more RAM).

 I am so sorry all… in that I had to hit a “mark all as read” in google reader this morning. I just couldn’t do it… over 300+ unread items. But I love you all… and I hope you still have it in your heart to read here.

Danielle made her hubby Dave and I dinner last night, and it was so good… like an Asian ginger beef & noodle stir fry with sugar snap peas. The beef was organic so I didn’t feel totally flipped about eating it after the big beef recall. I mean, what is happening in our country??? Well all over the world really there are food scares. It is… frightening.

In other good news other than crazy work-ness, I have lost a few pounds…. so I am happy about that. But I’m not totally overjoyed yet because I’ve been fluctuating with those 3 lbs for a few weeks now. It’s amazing, if I just eat light, smaller portions and keep my cals in a good healthy range, my body responds almost immediately - more so then to exercise… 

That’s all I got for today —- thanks for reading if you did :) 

Hey everyone! It’s Friday already??

If you’ll allow me to be a bit girly today…. can I talk about my watch for a second? My Valentine’s gift to myself this year was to finally get my watch fixed. I was thrilled that it came in today… they replaced the battery, the chain, and some crystals/stones that had fallen out of the channel setting. They also polished and cleaned it - so basically what I got was a brand new watch…. for $11.50.  It is one of my favorite things Brian ever bought me, so I am so glad to have it home.

I originally took a picture of it on me, but my wrist looked so fat and red and blotchy from the winter time I decided this was better for everyone.

sigh….. now I can know what time it is again at a glance!

Have a FABULOUS weekend everyone

So… here’s the honest truth. I am a graphic designer. I studied fine art and got a BA in it with a concentration in Fine Arts. I like art. But I don’t… look at much fine art. As a habit, I tend to only look at design… and I don’t really get into art history or museums. I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s interesting and I’ll look at it. But I do not readily seek it out. I am ashamed of this, and it makes me feel like a horrible artist and probably a shame to my major and all my art-loving-studio-owning professors.

That being said… I randomly saw an ad on Face Book. I think this might be first ad I’ve ever clicked on on Face Book. This artist is young, but I absolutely love Moran Danan’s work. So warm, with beautiful composition, abstraction… it’s the kind of art I want hanging in my living room, and the kind I want to actually stare at and interpret. Unfortunately for me, anything above about $50 is too much for me to spend on anything decorative… however maybe one day I could own one of these pieces. Enjoy….

This is only a small sampling of her work… check it out!

the last 2 days have been very rough for me. I’ve felt extremely overwhelmed, immersed in self-doubt and criticism, exhausted and sick, scared for my family and all we are dealing with  and so down on my body image that I’ve actually had to tell myself ‘you can only cry about this for 5 more minutes then you must stop.’ Two of the crying sessions have been mercifully interrupted by the right people, but some who knew of my struggles didn’t really seem to care as much as I thought they should, which added another level to my dismal days: frustration in friendships and feelings of abandonment (much of it unfounded).

I’ve recovered from it for the most part today, although I do have to admit that part of the intensity of these feelings was indeed compounded by the part of the month I am in. Some new feelings arrived this morning when I arrived at work and I felt slighted and left out of the loop on an important project, but that is some of the sacrifice I’ve had to make by dropping to part-time. When I think of the work I’m doing at home (which has slowed-down a tiny bit - worried/stressed, and a few of my clients are half-rate which is also difficult), I have no regrets. Those days and that time and working from home are so amazing. Then I come back to the agency and I still feel so much value to this job and so much still to learn and be involved in… for me it is a decent balance right now.

Alright well I have an important luncheon to attend that just found out about so I’m off… Thanks for listening to a more frustrated/less pure interest/beauty type post ….